PARIS – Dick Marks – the former Wallaby turned long-time Australian National Coaching Director – has put the Wallabies’ failed World Cup campaign down to a “broken system” and implored Rugby Australia to look inwards rather than copy any other centralised model.
The governing body will conduct a review into the Wallabies’ World Cup flop, which saw them miss the knockout stages for the first time, in November.
The review will come less than a year after RA held its last, which has yet to be made public, and came after the Wallabies won just five of 14 Tests.
The poor results culminated in RA chairman Hamish McLennan pulling the trigger on New Zealand coach Dave Rennie in January, with Eddie Jones, who had been sacked less than six weeks earlier by the Rugby Football Union after seven years in charge of England, returning as Wallabies coach.
But the Wallabies’ World Cup campaign was a disaster from start to finish, as they claimed just two wins from nine matches throughout the year. The only two victories were against nations ranked outside the top 10, as they beat Georgia and Portugal comfortably.
Dick Marks says Rugby Australia’s review into the Wallabies’ World Cup flop must be independent. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images for Rugby Australia)
The terrible year has led to many urging RA chairman Hamish McLennan, who was the catalyst for bringing Jones back as coach, to resign.
There have also been calls for Jones to either be sacked or fall on his sword, particularly with the Wallabies coach reportedly speaking to the Japan Rugby Football Union on the eve of the World Cup. The subject matter of the interview remains unclear, with Jones distancing himself from the report.
RA believes the Wallabies’ failed World Cup campaign is the result of systemic issues in the game, which need to be addressed.
The governing body believes greater alignment, specifically a move towards a centralised model, is essential to getting the game back on track from top to bottom.
RA claims that multiple reports dating back to 2008 have all suggested the same course of action.
Currently, the NSW Waratahs have agreed to hand over the keys to the governing body while the Melbourne Rebels are also considering going down that path. The Waratahs’ threat of insolvency played a key part in that.
Others, including the ACT Brumbies and Queensland Rugby Union, have agreed to move to a centralised high-performance program but won’t agree to handing over its commercial assets.
The Wallabies form a huddle following their last match of the 2023 Rugby World Cup against Portugal on October 01, 2023 in Saint-Etienne. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
Marks, however, believes several solutions can be found without the power resting with the governing body.
Indeed, he puts the Wallabies’ slide from two-time World Cup winners in the 1990s to World Cup flops down to “the dismantling of a productive system and (II) the installation of the wrong people to govern.”
“We had the rugby world coming to us to discover how it was done, now we are looking at their success to see how they did it,” Marks wrote in a report titled ‘Solutions to Australian Rugby problems’ that was sent to The Roar.
“The irony of this is that we don’t really have to do that – just revert to what was done before in our own history and go from back to the principles that worked for us in the past.
“The leaders of Australian Rugby have indicated that they are undertaking a review of the dire situation. That’s a good idea but I have decided to conduct my own and share it in the hope that it might assist the official one. I don’t profess to have all the answers but I can ask a lot of the questions and certainly identify the issues.
“The downfall has been due to a broken system but it must also be due to the people who broke it or have failed to repair it and that is the reason for my comments about administration.”
Marks, who started Australia’s National Coaching Scheme in 1974 after the Wallabies slumped to a new low after losing to Tonga and was its director until 1995, supported RA’s desire to have a review but said the governing body could make some simple and crucial fixes to the game.
“The last thing the review needs is an outcome involving buzzwords, platitudinous generalities or catchphrases like centralisation, restructuring, unification or independent boards – just get down to the nitty gritty of participation in our nurseries, coach education and the quality of our competitions,” Marks wrote.
“No matter what you call the engine, its efficiency will depend on its design and the quality of its essential components. A fully -serviced and well-maintained unit will always out-perform a neglected or badly reconfigured one.”
He added: “The sport needs creative and innovative leaders rather than ones who only think of copying. With all the talk about selling out to private equity to fix things, why can’t the current board do whatever this replacement shark might do?”
Australia and Wales contest a lineout. (Photo by Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images)
Marks said the review needed to be completely independent, believing the solutions were unlikely to be found by the same people who had been governing the game during its decline.
“The strategies and much of the vital decision-making lies in the vehicle of Rugby Australia which must have the right people in the driver’s and navigating seat. For decades now those people have failed so, it is not just a systemic or programming problem, it is also a personnel problem,” he said.
“As a result, this part of the review must be done by independents as Caesar is not going to be unkind to Caesar. Ignoring mistakes, protecting confected reputations and not being mercilessly honest will render the investigation a whitewash and nothing more than a window dressing exercise.”
Marks was buoyed by Hamish McLennan’s decision to reintroduce the rebranded National Technical Advisory Committee.
Chaired by Geoff Stooke, other well-known rugby figures including Bob Dwyer, Nick Farr-Jones, Wayne Erickson, Roger Gould and Barry Honan sat on the committee.
Marks said the Committee recommended for the appointment of a National Coaching Director exclusively allocated to the job of resurrecting an effective Youth Development Programme and repairing the deficient Coach Education Programme, which would be a substitute for the once highly successful Australian Institute of Sport Elite Youth Development School.
However, Gould and Honan have since left the Committee after seeing their recommendations fall on deaf ears.
“The only problem there being that after submitting its initial report, the new CEO [Andy Marinos] completely ignored it,” Marks wrote.
“The experienced group which would have helped has had virtually no input – three years down the drain.”
Marks says RA would benefit from focussing on addressing three key pillars: participation, coaching and competition.
In light on wealthier football codes making inroads into junior clubs and school nurseries, he said more needed to be done to “incentivize clubs to work on it at local levels as that is more productive for everyone than relying on expensive development officers”.
On coaching, Marks said “Coach Education has deteriorated with the abandonment of residential courses and the substitution of online training. It needs to be restored and it can become better than it ever was with modern technology.”
He advocated for a reconnection with the AIS, which once saw young coaches like Andy Friend and Andrew Blades attend during their playing days.
While Marks did not want to go into detail about how many Super Rugby sides Australia could sustain, he added that greater attention to the grassroots and schools, including the “resurrection of the Waratah Shield”, would be a strong start.
ScottD
Roar Guru
My point is that whenever a discussion starts about how to fix Australian Rugby, people immediately start talking about the Giteau rule as if it is the sole problem. "Fix that rule and all will be right in the world". Newsflash, that rule isn't the issue, it is just a symptom of a wider problem of mismanagement. Focus on the key core issues from the ground up not just the flashy bits at the top. The whole thing has to be fixed, not just that bit.
Khun Phil
Roar Rookie
So what is your alternative when most of our players are going to be playing in other countries? Of course there are many other aspects of Australian rugby which need addressing,but you still need your flagship team to be performing.Where do most of the Bok team play?
Ankle-tapped Waterboy
Roar Rookie
Yep. The light at the end of the tunnel, a glimmer, just went out. Has anyone asked Marinos his reasons for ignoring the Report?
AndyS
Roar Rookie
ARU should certainly have been more active in encouraging the sport in all states, rather than just focusing on two. What a healthy sport would have looked like is probably Premier comps in the major centres (which they notionally had) with national support in participation and high performance (which they certainly didn't), revenues being spread further than 15 minutes drive from head office, and an established state/sub-Union level competition, albeit probably across a couple of divisions. In essence, something like the ARS should have been long established and functioning as a national comp, well before the professionalism raised its head.
Micko
Roar Rookie
How should it have looked in 1994 Andy??
LHP
Roar Rookie
By cricket score, I hope you aren’t referring to the Australian cricket team - because the runs they are scoring right now is akin to a typical low scoring rugby game anyway. My point being…our cricket is shit at the moment too. Sadly, I fear the ‘lucky country’ has evolved into the ‘lazy country’. Increasing participation rates at school in round ball and basketball are simply because it is the easier option. My sons have mates who brag that they have not touched the ball in 5 years at high school - and they love it. And this is a NSW GPS school. We have all played a part…drink more cement ladies and gentleman…and not that new carbon free stuff neither!!
Aiden
Roar Rookie
Yes, I do agree. In another post I made the observation that centralization is 100% the right way to go but Hamish is 100% the wrong person to make it happen. I don't buy the geography argument. We still have a very small population and the differences between States are all in our heads. We are a lot more unified than we think, its not like the US for instance. All I know is that fighting amongst ourselves has not helped so far. Hamish and the Board ... out. Centralization ... In ;)
Pete Samu's Tucked Shirt
Roar Rookie
Well the current system isn't working. Success starts with the Wallabies down. Our SR teams suck. Recall our better players to start winning tests first, then trickle down the success
Pete Samu's Tucked Shirt
Roar Rookie
The priority is the Wallabies success. And here is why: National team, the matches are in FTA thus not bogged down behind paywalls. Scrap the Giteau Law. If outplayed are good enough to play overseas and seemingly develop better, let them go. Super Rugby? Use it as developmental pathway for fringe players. Sure, well get belted, but if a player can prove themselves, they will be rewarded. Recall all our good players from overseas for tests and start competing again!
Muglair
Roar Rookie
Sorry doctor, lousy diagnosis. You don't fully understand the meaning of amateur and professional in a sporting sense. Thanks to Australia's systems we led the world because of our professionalism. Then we stopped dead in 1995 and the world just kept catching up and then leaving us behind. According to Hamish/Steve Hanson we are now 15 years behind NZ. That seems mathematically impossible, but worse NZ is not exactly leading the world anymore. You need to have a closer look at the boards of RA and the five state/SR. RA has Daniel Herbert and Phil Waugh on the board. In the last ten years I doubt that much influence was exerted by Wallaby members, although this seems to have changed since Phil and Hamish teamed up. Marinos seems respected by the people I know who have had dealings with him. However he was a professional footballer until 2003 and then managed the stadium in Newport. I don't know what he did from 2005-2015 but he then was at SANZAAR until 2020 and RA until this year. No offence, but there is nothing there about stellar business career, and certainly evidence of being unable to exert much influence. That is not so much critical, he no doubt had little opportunity to change events. Don't confuse 'old school tie' (a thoroughly vague and meaningless expression), with the big end of town. Some of the people may be in both groups, but the behaviours and motivations are vastly different. At least if the old school tie really mattered, it would mean the wearers at least cared more about something than themselves. We are in this position because very few people involved have any interest in leaving Australian rugby in a better position than when they started. Mostly they hope they will leave rugby in a better position than when they started.
Frankly
Roar Rookie
I hear what you are saying Sterling Anderson. What I mean about competitive is, having at team that isn't getting a cricket score put on them each game. When that happens it isn't very fun and it isn't going to grow participation. I'll say it again, I don't think the school model will be successful in regional areas. It maybe a great initiative for city schools.
Sterling
Roar Rookie
SS isn't amateur in nature either though is it. It is completely distinct from Suburban Rugby and needs to be shown as so as opposed to being labelled as "grassroots". I do kinda feel sorry for Premier Rugby clubs as they don't seem to fit anywhere.
Doctordbx
Roar Rookie
Myth, pleased name and date your examples. Holy cow look around!!!! The only volunteers and ex-players who work are the ones who bring with them education and experience in the field. Australia’s glory period, 1984-2003? A mostly amateur era. We never grew up. We got to this point because control of the game at board level moved to the big end of town No we got here because the 'board' is overrun by old school tie and ex players. It is not a professionally run outfit run by executives interested in things like performance and KPI. It is literally the grocery store run by non-business men you talk about. It's a freaking shambles. The only guy they did have who was actually onto it was Andy Marinos and he couldn't run fast enough. What is Marinos? He's a skilled accountant - a numbers man - with a successful history in business.
Phil Kearns Love Child
Roar Rookie
You've summed it up well
Phil Kearns Love Child
Roar Rookie
I reckon it's because every time a boss comes in he dismisses the report and tries to be the hero and fix it.
Phil Kearns Love Child
Roar Rookie
Start right now. Marketing to the hearts and minds if kids. Plaster it everywhere in every town. Get players into schools, get the schools all the gear they need. The world cup is here in 4 years.
Phil Kearns Love Child
Roar Rookie
Harrison is a numpty
Phil Kearns Love Child
Roar Rookie
But that would require rugby people goin' out to the suburbs
Sterling
Roar Rookie
Frankly, Depends what you mean by competitive? Competitive enough to win the Waratah Shield? Irrelevant. Competitive enough to play safely? Important. Competitive enough to field a team and participate, regardless of the result? 100% relevant at that level. And I believe that's what Dick is referring to. Participation. Schools are where the kids are. Any of the codes that create an effective model that makes it easy for them (and their parents) to get involved at school will win in the long run. Creating below average players like me that become tragics is just as important as creating elite players. I even believe that if done well enough, schools could replace junior clubs and thus create senior old boy clubs for those school levers that stay local.
Muglair
Roar Rookie
Myth, pleased name and date your examples. Volunteers and ex-players sometimes work and sometimes don’t. Who was responsible for Australia’s glory period, 1984-2003? We got to this point because control of the game at board level moved to the big end of town, which was at least the early 90s, maybe late 80s. Did not take them long to undo the good work.